Beneath This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas

My Review

         I’m really starting to believe that Jodi picked Ward as Jesse’s last name as a play on words because he belongs in a ward.

         Every time I think Ava and Jesse are making a step forward, they take five steps back. Then three steps forward and two steps back. It’s the damn cha-cha with these two. Especially after how much tension there was at the beginning, I really thought more progress would’ve happened.

         And yet for some stupid reason I really want them to work out. When they’re good, it’s spectacular, but when they’re bad, it’s toxic. It’s like I really don’t know if they’re good for each other.

         Something keeps me reading, though. Something apart from the fact that This Man Confessed has been patiently collecting dust on my shelf. As frustrating as the series is and as much as I frequently ask myself why am I still bothering with these two, I can’t seem to stop reading. And after that ending, I’ll be damned if I stop now.

         Not like I was going to anyway...

Final Rating: 5 Stars

***MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW***

Comments & Side Notes

§  Jesse hadn’t changed much since book 1. If anything he may have acted more erratically, but he did open up some.

§  WE KNOW HOW OLD HE IS FINALLY!! Sinful 37 ;) But I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to Ava to check his drivers license.

§  And Ava…the dick-whipped cow. I wish whenever she would try to have a serious discussion with Jesse, she would be strong enough to fight off his sex-stractions.

§  “The ‘I love you’ Confession Sex: all I could do was shake my head. Actually I shake my head during 89.95% of the time they go at it. (And yes I made up that number but I'm sure it's close to accurate)

§  The Proposal: I shouldn’t be surprised that Jesse made proposal sex a thing, but hey, being handcuffed to a bed by a hot controlling man is one heck of a  way to get proposed to.

§  In The Case of Ava’s Missing Contraception: I called Jesse being the guilty party after the SECOND time her pills “disappeared”. I questioned it the first time but after the second, I knew it was no accident.

§  Sometimes I wish this series was written in Jesse’s POV also. But I’m glad we got his point of view on the whipping scene. That shit was cray.

Quotable Highlights

“I love you,” he says softly, but its strained. […]

“I know you do, Jesse.” I hang up and exhale an exhausted breath.          p.67

            I know it’s no big deal, but I’m proud of Ava for not telling Jesse she loved him back.

Holy fucking shit! I’ve just agreed to marry this controlling, neurotic ex-playboy, and I’ve known him for a matter of weeks.        p.362

            With how huge these books are, it’s easy to forget the time span but this only confirms me calling her a dick-whipped cow. I don’t know anyone else who’d say yes to marriage while being handcuffed to a bed by a nut case after a few weeks of knowing them. Smfh…

“[…] You’ve really never had a relationship, have you?”

“No. I’ve told you this.”

“I can tell. You’re shit at it.”    p. 377

         2nd truest statement in the book.

Gentle Jesse-it’s like I’m in a relationship with a dozen different men.    p. 494

         Um girlfriend…probably because you are. And this is the truest statement in the book.